French bulldog acts as mom for abandoned boar babies in Germany

February 15, 2012

When six abandoned boar piglets were brought to the Lehnitz animal sanctuary in Brandenburg, Germany, resident French bulldog Baby stepped up to the plate and began to mother the infant pigs. The Associated Press reports the eight-year-old dog came over to the piglets the moment they arrived and has not left their side since.

"We don't know what happened to the mother boar, whether she was hunted or what, but someone found the little pigs and brought them to us on Saturday," Norbert Damm, a sanctuary worker, told The Local. "They were only four days old as far as we can tell. You can hold one in your hand, although they are a little bit bigger than a hand. Baby went straight to them - she has an amazing mothering instinct. She has adopted cats, rabbits and a raccoon in the past."

Animal lovers can make calls to Germany with international phone cards to talk to their friends about the heartwarming story. Since the boars were introduced to humans at such a young age, they're too comfortable around them to be released into the wild, but the AP reports they will likely be moved to a nature reserve once they're able to feed themselves.